Apparatus for the introduction of a liquid having solid particles into a desired zone



Feb. 11, 1964 c. G. TEUFEL 3,120,364

APPARATUS FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF A LIQUID HAVING SOLID PARTICLES INTO A DESIRED ZONE Filed March 5, 1962 F|G.I 7

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ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,120,864 APPARATUS FOR THE INTRQDUCTKQN 6F A LHQUHD HAVENG SOLID PARTICLES INTO A DESIRED ZQNE Christian G. Teutel, 35-34 95th Stu, Zaclrson Heights, REY. Filed Mar. 5, 19622, Ser. No. 177,392 3 Claims. (Cl. l58--4) This invention relates to the introduction or" solid particles into a desired zone, and more particularly to apparatus for the introduction of a liquid having metal particles suspended therein into a desired zone or chamber, for instance the combustion zone of a boiler.

This is a continuation-in-part application of my copcnding application Serial No. 66,685, filed November 2, 1960, now abandoned.

It was a problem for years how to satisfactorily introduce a liquid containing metal particles suspended therein into the combustion chamber of a boiler, in small quantities of typically 4 gallon per hour. Proportioning pumps proved unsatisfactory as the solids were not carried along with the liquid into the combustion chamber due to lack of velocity.

Domestic steam boilers require typically one quart per hour of the liquid having the metal particles suspended therein, and delivery of this small quantity can only be facilitated with small feed lines, i.e. lines of small diameter, in order to have suflicient flow velocity. However, the boiler system operates on an intermittent basis, which permits the metal particles to settle out on lay oils which causes frequent blockage of the supply or feed lines.

Further, the chemical injection gun introduced into the combustion chamber of the boiler for injecting the liquid having the suspended metal particles into this combusdon chamber is exposed to very high temperatures. During frequent boiler o oration lay oils, the remaining metal particles and chemicals in the injection gun crystallize and close oil the small critics of the gun nozzle due to the radiant heat in the boiler.

In accordance with t e present invention, the metal particles are introduced into the desired zone, for instance the combustion zone of a boiler, in a troublerree and improved manner obviating the prior art difficulties previously mentioned by procedure involving passing the liquid having the metal particles suspended therein from the source of supply through a conduit into the desired zone, and maintaining the velocity of liow of liquid through the conduit sufiiciently high to maintain the particles in suspension in the liquid thereby carrying the particles into the zone with the liquid. Then, after cessation of passage of the liquii suspension into the combustion zone, the metal particles which have settled out in the conduit due to the cessation of flow are forced back into the supply source, preferably by the pressure of compressed air.

In a preferred embodiment, prior to passing the liquid containing the suspended metal particles from the supply source through the conduit into the desired zone, any metal particles that had previously sett ed out in this conduit and are sti l present therein are forced back into the supply source by the pressure of compressed air. This is to insure that the conduit is not obstructed by metal particle deposits at the time of start-up of passage of the liquid containing the suspended metal particles therethrough to the desired zone.

eference is now made to the accompanying drawings wherein:

PEGURE l is a diagrammatic illustration of apparatus for carrying out the method of the present invention; and

FIGURE 2 is a detailed elevational view partly in section showing the combination of the compressed air sup- Patented Feb. H, 1964 ply valve and the oil regulating supply valve of the present invention.

Referring to FIGURE 1, combustion chamber 5 of a boiler is provided with door 6 and motor 7 for operating a blower for supplying air to the oil burners (not shown). Fuel oil supply line 8 leads from oil supply tank 9 to oil regulating supply valve 1d, another oil supply line or conduit 11 being connected to the outlet at the opposite end of valve ill for supplying the oil to the burners for the combustion chamber.

Chemical injection gun 12 having nozzle 13 extending into combustion chamber 5 injects a liquid suspension of metal particles into chamber 5 through the nozzle 13 for breaking down and enabling relatively easy removal of the scale, ash and slag accumulations on the heat eX- change surfaces of the boiler tubes. Nozzle 1 3 is connected to suspension feed line 15 by a tube or small diameter line 13a mounted within the casing of gun 12. This liquid suspension is preferably an aqueous solution having suspended therein metal particles of one or more of potassium, chromium, manganese, copper and aluminum. The liquid suspension is supplied to injection gun 12 from supply tank 14 through the chemical. feed line 15, which is a small diameter line, and joint 16. Supply tank 14 which is on the floor as shown, is equipped with marine type propellor agitator 14a, for maintaining the particles in suspension. Compressed air supplied from tank 17 through air supply line 18 to two chamber piston valve 19*, and from the air supply outlet for the injection gun of piston valve It? through line 29 to the injection gun 12, causes the injection gun 12 to act as a vacuum pump. The air flows at high velocity within a tube or small diameter conduit (not shown) passing through the supporting body 12a of gun 12 and then into an annular space defined by and located between the tube 13a connecting feed line 15 and the nozzle 13 and the outer wall (shown in broken lines) of the inner portion of gun 12, to flow past the outlet 15a of line 13a at high velocity thereby producing the vacuum or suction to suck the suspension from the supply tank and thereby cause the suspension to flow at velocity suflicient to maintain the liquid suspension under constant agitation. This results in the metal particies being kept suspended in the liquid and carr'cd along into the injection gun l2 and through line 13a therewithin for injection into combustion chamber S.

Two chamber piston valve 19 is connected and its operation synchronized with that of oil regulating supply valve 1%. liston valve 19 and its connection with oil regulating supply valve it) are shown in detail in FIG- URE 2, and are described hereinafter in detail.

Referring again to FIGURE 1, compressed air is supplied from two chamber piston valve 1& to chemical feed line 15 through line 21, the air exiting from piston valve 19 through the outlet 37 for blow-back ir and then passing through line 2i. This compressed air fiushes or blows back settled out metal particles and solids in line 15 to chemical supply tank M and also purges gun 12 and its line 13a therewithin thereby obviating plugging up and blockage of supply line 15 and gun 12 to flow of the liquid having the suspended metal particles.

With reference now to FIGURE 2, two chamber piston valve 19 comprises piston rod 22 reciprocable within housing 23. Two chambers 24 and 25 are provided within housing 23 with dividing wall 26 separating the W0 chambers. Air passage port or canal 27 in wall 26 provides intercommunication between chambers 24 and 25. Piston rod 22 has head 28 at one end and at its opposite end bears against cap 29, spring 3b being afilxed to cap 2? and bearing against piston rod 22. Cap 29 is affixed to lever 31 which in turn is connected to oil regulating supply valve ill. Lover 31 is shown in its down or closed position, and is in its open position for the oil arouses U regulating valve in its broken line position. Inlet 32 for the main compressed air supply is connected to compressed air supply line 18 shown in FlGURE 1. Spring 33 provided in inlet 32 bears against piston head 28.

Piston rod 22 is shown in its solid line closed position with piston head 28 closing oh? air supply inlet 32 so that no compressed air can enter chamber 25, spring 33 being compressed by piston head 28 in this closed position. A washer of rubber or other suitable material is designated at 35 and 35a. Outlet 36 for compressed air is connected to air line 20, shown in FIGURE 1, for supplying compressed air to injection gun 12. Outlet 37 for blow-back compressed air is connected to blowback air line 21 for supplying compressed air to chemical feed line 15 to force settled out metal particles in line 15 back into supply tank 14 and to purge line 13a of the injection gun.

Oil flow regulating valve 1% is a conventional valve and has piston rod 32; connected at one end to pivotal valve lever 31 through connecting member 39, piston rod 38 being reciprocable Within housing 459 to control the flow of fuel oil through oil supply conduit ll en route to the combustion chamber. Valve lever 31 is pivotally mounted on support column 41 by pin 42 which is inserted through matching openings in lever 31 and the end of column 41, pin 42. being provided with a cotter pin (not shown) to prevent its rem val. Pin 43 extends through matching openings in connecting member 39 and lever 31 and also is provided with a cotter pin (not shown) to prevent its removal. Lever 31 is connected to piston rod 22 through cap 2% affixed to lever 31. A guide column 4 is provided for guiding the pivotal movement of lever 31, guide column 44 having a slotted opening therein of width slightly greater than the width of lever 31 and through which lever 31 extends. A connecting and support plate 45 is provided for valve 19 and guide column 44. Oil flow regulating valve operates in conventional and well known manner.

In operation, on opening cycle of the boiler, oil regulating valve lever 31 is in an up-stroke causing upward movement of piston rod 22, shown in FIGURE 2, of valve 19. As piston head 28 moves away from air supply inlet 32 due to the movement of piston rod 22, compressed air is supplied to chamber 25. As piston head 23 moves upwardly past outlet 36, compressed air is supplied to injection gun 12 through outlet 36 and line 20, and also to feed or supply line through port 27, outlet 37 and line 21. This supply of compressed air to feed line 15 flushes back the settled out metal particles and'solids in line 15 to supply tank 14 under high pressure and velocity and also purges gun 12 and line 13a therewithin of any deposited particles. After a few seconds the upwardly moving piston head 28 closes 01f canal or port 27 and then compressed air is supplied only to injection gun 12 via outlet 36 and line 20, injection gun 12 then acting as a vacuum pump with typically a 6 lift by reason of the air flowing at high velocity past the outlet of line 13a. The liquid having the metal particles suspended therein previously described is then pulled or sucked from supply tank 14 under the partial vacuum and at a velocity sufficiently high to maintain the particles suspended in the liquid during its travel through line 15 to injection gun 12 and through the line 13a therein to injection nozzle 13 for introduction into the combustion chamber. The metal particles suspended in the liquid are of fine size and of typical fineness such that percent of the particles are retained on a 200 mesh sieve with the remainder passing therethrough.

On the closing cycle of the boiler, oil regulating valve lever 31 is in a down stroke causing downward movement of piston rod 22 of valve 19. As piston head 28 moves downwardly away from port 27 due to movement of piston rod 22, port 27 is re-opened resulting in blowback of the compressed air through line 21 and then through supply line 15 to purge line 215 by forcing settled to purge gun 12 and line 13a therewithin.

out metal particles back into supply tank 14 and also During this blow-back, compressed air al o passes through line 20 to gun 13. This purging of supply line 15 and also the gun l2 and its line 13a eliminates blockage of this supply line, the gun and its nozzle due to settling out of the suspended metal particles and crystallization therewithin. When the downstroke of oil regulating valve lever 31 is completed, piston rod 22 has moved downward as far as it will go and piston head 25 reaches its solid line position and closes off inlet 32 for the main compressed air supply to the system.

The apparatus and method of this invention could also be used in other fiields. For instance, it could also be used for introduction of catalyst suspensions into the combustion chamber of missiles and rockets; in the dye industry for the injection of dye colorants or pigments into the dye formulating tanks; and in the leather t-arming industry for adding the desired quantities of ingredients to tanning solutions.

it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications may be made within the scope of the present invention Without departing from the spirit thereof, and the invention includes all such modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. in combination, a combustion chamber, means for injecting a liquid having metal particles suspended therein into the combustion chamber, a source of supply of the particle-suspending liquid, a supply conduit leading from the supply source to the injecting means, a source of sup ply of fuel oil, a fuel oil supply conduit leading from the oil supply source to the combustion chamber, oil flow regulating valve means in the oil supply conduit, another valve means connected to the oil flow regulating valve means and operated thereby, a source of supply of compressed air, a first air supply line leading from the compressed air supply source to said other valve means, a second air supply line leading from said other valve means to the injectin. means, and a third air supply line leading from said other valve means to the particle-suspending liquid supply conduit, said other valve means being operative in one position to direct air under pressure from the first air supply line thnough said second line to the injecting means and also to direct air under pressure through the third air supply line to the particle-suspendi'ng liquid supply conduit to blow back settled out metal particles therein to the supply source therefor and operative in another position to direct the air under pressure only through the second air supply line to the injecting means.

2. In combination, a container, means for injecting a liquid having solid particles suspended therein into the container, a source of supply of the particle-suspending liquid, a supply conduit leading from the supply source to the injecting means, another supply conduit leading to the container, flow regulating valve means in the last-mentioned supply conduit, another valve means connected to the flow regulating valve means and operated thereby, a source of supply of fluid under pressure, a first fluid supply line leading from the pressurized fluid supply source to said other valve means, a second fluid supply line leading from said other valve means to the injecting means, and a third fluid supply line leading from said other valve means to the particle-suspending liquid supply conduit, said other valve means being operative in one position to direct fluid under pressure from the first fluid supply line through said second line to the injecting means and also to direct fluid under pressure through the third fluid sup ply line to the first-mentioned supply conduit to blow back settled out solid particles therein to the supply source therefor and operative to another position to direct the fluid under pressure only through the second air supply line to the injecting means.

3. In combination, a combustion chamber, means for injecting a liquid having metal particles suspended there- U in into the combustion chamber, a source of supply of the particle-suspending liquid, a. supply conduit leading from the supply source to the injection means, a source of supply of fuel oil, a fuel oil supply conduit leading from the oil supply source to the combustion chamber, oil flow regulating valve means in the oil supply conduit, another valve means connected to the oil flow regulating valve means and operated thereby, a source of supply of compressed air, a first air sup ly line leading from the com pressed air supply source to said other valve means, a 10 second air supply line leading from said other valve means to the injecting means, and a third air supply line leading rom said other valve means to the particle-suspending liquid supply conduit, said other valve means being operative in one extreme position to direct air under pressure from the first air supply line only through the second air supply line to the injeotion means thereby causing the liquid having the metal particles suspended there in to be drawn from the supply source therefor through 5 the first-n1entioned supply conduit to the injection means for injection into the combustion chamber, and operative in another extreme position to shut off v'le pressurized air supply thereto from the first air supply line.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 505,395 Engle Sept. 19, 1893 752,195 Best Feb. 16, 1904 1,515,295 Bogre Nov. 11, 1924 2,504,081 Mylting Apr. 11, 1950 2,557,018 Viles June 12, 1951 2,704,523 Walters Mar. 22, 1955 2,800,172 Romer et al July 23, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 445,506 Great Britain Apr. 14, 1936 

1. IN COMBINATION, A COMBUSTION CHAMBER, MEANS FOR INJECTING A LIQUID HAVING METAL PARTICLES SUSPENDED THEREIN INTO COMBUSTION CHAMBER, A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF THE PARTICLE-SUSPENDING LIQUID, A SUPPLY CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE SUPPLY SOURCE TO THE INJECTING MEANS, A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF FUEL OIL, A FUEL OIL SUPPLY CONDUIT LEADING FROM THE OIL SUPPLY SOURCE TO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER, OIL FLOW REGULATING VALVE MEANS IN THE OIL SUPPLY CONDUIT, ANOTHER VALVE MEANS CONNECTED TO THE OIL FLOW REGULATING VALVE MEANS AND OPERATED THEREBY, A SOURCE OF SUPPLY OF COMPRESSED AIR, A FIRST AIR SUPPLY LINE LEADING FROM THE COMPRESSED AIR SUPPLY SOURCE TO SAID OTHER VALVE MEANS, A SECOND AIR SUPPLY LINE LEADING FROM SAID OTHER VALVE MEANS TO THE INJECTING MEANS, AND A THIRD AIR SUPPLY LINE LEADING FROM SAID OTHER VALVE MEANS TO THE PARTICLE-SUSPENDING LIQUID SUPPLY CONDUIT, SAID OTHER VALVE MEANS BEING OPERATIVE IN ONE POSITION TO DIRECT AIR UNDER PRESSURE FROM THE FIRST AIR SUPPLY LINE THROUGH SAID SECOND LINE TO THE INJECTING MEANS AND ALSO TO DIRECT AIR UNDER PRESSURE THROUGH THE THIRD AIR SUPPLY LINE TO THE PARTICLE-SUSPENDING LIQUID SUPPLY CONDUIT TO BLOW BACK SETTLED OUT METAL PARTICLES THERIN TO THE SUPPLY SOURCE THEREFOR AND OPERATIVE IN ANOTHER POSITION TO DIRECT THE AIR UNDER PRESSURE ONLY THROUGH THE SECOND AIR SUPPLY LINE TO THE INJECTING MEANS. 